Jeanine Elizabeth Swanson

Princeton - Jeanine E. Swanson, a lifelong resident of Princeton, Ill., who became an eager and avid world traveler late in life, died on March 6 in her hometown. She was 71. Mrs. Swanson, who worked at H&R Block in Ottawa, Ill., and in Princeton for about 30 years, graduated from Princeton High School in the Class of 1971. An animal lover, Mrs. Swanson had dogs for most of her adult life, and after caring for dogs became too challenging, she turned her attention to a frenetic couponing habit. (Does anyone need any mini toothpastes?) Jeanine Elizabeth Erickson was born on Nov. 22, 1953, in Princeton, to Herbert and Cecelia Erickson. Mr. Erickson was a mechanic, and Mrs. Erickson was a homemaker. Both of them were deeply involved in Boy and Girl Scouts. Mrs. Swanson met her husband, Elliott Jon Swanson, known as E.J., at a bar in Princeton, where he was also born and raised and where they made their home after their marriage in 1973 until his death in 2002. They had a son, Elliott Justin Swanson, and a daughter, Jaime Elizabeth Swanson, both of whom work as editors for The New York Times. Mrs. Swanson, who had long embraced her Swedish heritage, had in recent years indulged in her newfound wanderlust, traveling often across the country to New York to visit her children when they both lived there, and later to London after Jaime moved there in 2021. In New York, she loved exploring the city with them and Justin's wife, Amy Kelsey - also an editor at The Times - and was very proud of herself when she was able to navigate the neighborhood alone - a small-town girl in the biggest city in the United States. From London, she and Jaime would pick a city to fly to first and spent weeks traveling Europe by train, trying to see as much as possible in the time they had together. During their trips, they made a game out of trying the local beers and posing with each new liter or half-liter they drank, and there were many. Mrs. Swanson is survived by her two children and a sister, June (Warner) Strickland. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents and brother, Jim. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Mrs. Swanson's name to the American Cancer Society. A celebration of life will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, at Norberg Memorial Home in Princeton. Online condolences may be directed to www.norbergfh.com Arrangements by Norberg Memorial Home, Inc. & Monuments.

Jeanine Elizabeth Swanson

November 22, 1953 - March 6, 2025